Utah/Minnesota crew chief Kane Fitzgerald on why he assessed the first technical foul on Karl-Anthony Towns: “The first technical foul was assessed during the review for the dead-ball contact for the elbow to the face to Crowder. Dead-ball contact, technical foul.”

Fitzgerald on why he assessed the second technical foul on KAT: “The second technical foul was for continuous complaint. Three or four plays in a row, he was complaining, and a technical foul was given.”

Then, with the game slipping away from his team, Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague got roasted on consecutive possessions by rookie guard Donovan Mitchell. During Utah’s next trip down the floor, Teague went not after Mitchell, but his backcourtmate—Teague checked Ricky Rubio toward the seats.

There’s cause for Minnesotan frustration. The Timberwolves won their first two games after losing Butler, but to the bottom-feeding Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls. They’ve now lost two straight, to teams they’re competing with to be among the eight Western Conference teams to reach the playoffs, the Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Blazers are currently in third in the conference, and the Jazz, presently 10th, are just four games behind Portland, two behind Minnesota, and one behind the No. 8 Denver Nuggets.

Utah has won 13 of their last 15, a streak that started two games after the return of the injured Rudy Gobert.